Showcase result

Duke of Bedford memorial

The Duke of Bedford war memorial consists of a Latin cross atop a three tiered hexagonal base with projecting pedestals. The memorial is Grade II listed and constructed of Portland stone. It originally had twelve bronze plaques making up the roll-of-honour with additional bronze dedicatory plaques. The memorial sits within the Grade II registered Ampthill Park and is on the boundary of a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

In 1970 ten of the twelve roll-of-honour plaques were stolen and between 1983 and 93 the fence surrounding the memorial was replaced. In 2012 an application to the Grants for War Memorials scheme was received to replace the stolen plaques, as a record of the names had recently come to light, clean and treat the remaining plaques and to clean and make minor repairs to the stonework. A grant of £21,397 was offered towards these works with a total project cost of £64,934.

The remaining plaques had lost their original patination. At first the level of clean required to these was unclear. However, after undertaking an initial clean using a steam clean process it was evident that the metal remained in good condition and no further cleaning was required to remove active corrosion. This case highlights the importance of undertaking cleaning to bronze in a staged manner. Originally more abrasive methods were considered necessary to address the condition of the plaques although this later proved unnecessary. The lost plaques were recast using the font style evident on the originals which remained. The font used on the plaques was not a standard type face, as such a bespoke template had to be produced for the new plaques.

It is important when undertaking projects such as this that appropriate anti-theft measures are undertaken to reduce the risk to the metal elements once replaced. In this case the plaques have been fixed with anti-theft screws and have been identified on the rear as being the property of the Town Council. In addition to this the applicants took advantage of the Trust’s In Memoriam 2014 partnership project with the SmartWater Foundation, to mark the bronze elements with a traceable forensic marker for free.

The memorial was erected in 1919. It commemorates the 707 men of the Bedfordshire Regiment who lost their lives in the First World War. The Bedfordshire Regiment had a training camp in Ampthill Park. The land was gifted by the 11th Duke who was also the first commander of the regiment. The memorial was designed by Cecil Greenwood Hare.

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM2065
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 1683

If you have a concern about this memorial please contact the Trust on conservation@warmemorials.org

Return to search results | Start a new search